Historic finish in Mexico for the Royal Military College of Canada
April 29, 2024 - Defence Stories
Caption
The RMC Military Skills Team immediately after crossing the finish line at the competition site south of Mexico City on March 12, 2024, displays the team symbol for “no scare” – one of the team’s mottos.
Standing (L to R): OCdts William Lee, Jack O’Connell, Jonathan Côté, Josh Tremblay, NCdt Charles-Olivier André, OCdts Abdelkrim El-Merraoui and Samuel Fortin, and Capt Michael Brownlee.
Kneeling (L to R): Mexican OCdt Juestyl Govea, translator and guide, OCdts Samuel Desjardins-Labelle, Megan Roy, Mélodie Martel and Philippe Couture, and Tomasz Deren (Team Coach).
Photos from the Secretary of National Defense of Mexico.
Eleven cadets from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) placed 3rd as a military skills team out of 16 teams from Mexico, Brazil, and the U.S. at the 10th annual International “Chimaltlalli 2024” - a competition held at the Heroico Colegio Militar in Mexico City last month.
“It’s a gruelling 55 km race,” said Capt Michael Brownlee. “Along the marathon-plus distance through the mountains, essentially all our military skills were challenged.”
At 2,300 meters of altitude, with temperatures of 40°C dropping to five degrees at night, heat stroke and altitude sickness are all too common. Success here demands an extreme level of physical conditioning.
“Tomasz Deren has been the Strength and Conditioning Coach for our team for nearly a decade now, attending every competition,” added Capt Brownlee. “With his guidance and many early mornings, our team was the fastest, beating the local Mexican Army team who trains at altitude year-round.”
Coming in first at pistol shots, the team was fortunate to receive training from Canadian Special Operations and JTF-2 members. Being laser-focused helped them stay a step ahead of the rest.
The team is going to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the US Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., at the end of April, where international teams gather annually to compete.
“RMC’s main rival is the premier West Point team, the USMA Black, which won last year and holds the victory trophy sword,” added Capt Brownlee.
"It’s a gruelling 55 km race," said Capt Michael Brownlee. "Along the marathon-plus distance through the mountains, essentially all our military skills were challenged."
RMC has an exemplary history at the competition having won multiple times against upwards of 49 teams each time: in 2005 to 2007, 2009 and 2016.
“The collaboration among our Athletics, Training, and Academic Wing staff, along with the support from CANSOFCOM, ensured our students received the coaching, support and encouragement necessary to balance their significant workload across all four pillars of our undergrad degree, and develop the expertise necessary to excel in this competition,” said BGen Pascal Godbout, Commandant of RMC.
As for the RMC Saint-Jean team, participating for the first time in the Chimaltlalli competition was an opportunity to assess their progress, refine their skills and tactics in the face of new challenges, and propel their ongoing development.
“The commitment of our Military Skills Team to unity and determination reflects our collective pursuit of excellence and is a source of inspiration for the rest of the College. Their unwavering dedication to skill improvement, coupled with their character and humility, plays a vital role in their success, aiding in their development into exceptional leaders," said Col Guillaume Tremblay, Commandant of RMC Saint-Jean.
The team from RMC Saint-Jean is now setting sights on a competitive showing at the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition.
"Tomasz Deren has been the Strength and Conditioning Coach for our team for nearly a decade now, attending every competitions," added Capt Brownlee. "With his guidance and many early mornings, our team was the fastest beating the local Mexican Army team who trains at altitude year-round!"
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